


Do Not Enter the Above

by reptilia28



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alien Culture, Gen, POV Nonhuman, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:40:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 601
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25461814
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reptilia28/pseuds/reptilia28
Summary: We are unique in that we believe the sky to be inspiring and heavenly, home of Angels, with Hell being found deep below.Other species see stars as evil eyes preying on them in the night and take comfort in the warmth and safety of underground caves and burrows.When we meet, we are the Hell beasts of myth, demons from the overworld and the sky above, come to tempt them or worse...
Kudos: 8





	Do Not Enter the Above

Do not enter the Above.

That has been our way of life since we were mere beasts, unable to comprehend the world around us except in the simplest of ways. It has been taught from generation to generation, until it has been ingrained into our very souls. Down here, in the Below, we are safe. Down here, the Dark Mother provides minerals to nourish us, heat to warm us, and darkness to protect us. In the Above lies only death.

Once, when our race was young and ignorant, we thought that the Above was safe. But we were wrong. Beyond the embrace of the Dark Mother lies an infinite chasm, cold and empty save for the myriad monsters that prowl above, seeking to rip us from our Mother’s embrace and devour us. Those who die in the Above are forever lost to the Dark Mother, condemned to drift the cold emptiness forever lamenting their damnation.

High above, beyond the reach of even our Mother, lies the White Devil, His lone eye seeing all and shining with such fury that we would be blind and vulnerable while His minions could pick us off at their leisure. Even when the White Devil sleeps, it is not safe. When He sleeps, the pale mockery of the Dark Mother’s warmth fades away, leaving a chill that can freeze the very blood in your veins. Even though the White Devil sleeps, His legion of children stand ever vigilant, their eyes infinitesimal compared to their father’s, but still enough to see us and guide the horrors that reside in the Above. As we grew more aware, we retreated further into the Dark Mother’s embrace. Now only the foolish, suicidal, and condemned dare venture into the Above.

But now we and even the Dark Mother Herself are in danger. Demons have descended from above the Above, heralds of the White Devil Himself. They came down in great beasts with wings of light and noise, shrieking as if they harnessed the cries of the damned. Their skin is as pale as the White Devil’s light and their smooth skulls show a distorted reflection of the Above, showing their true nature. When they speak, they wear our faces, for they have none of their own. They reside in the Above, digging into the Below and ripping out the Dark Mother's flesh in their lord’s name. And worse, they know of us, searching for us. Perhaps when they arrived they found and ripped the knowledge of our people out of one of the condemned before devouring them. Perhaps their master told them of us, seeking to destroy us in a more direct fashion. Either way it does not matter, they seek us all the same.

At first they seemed content to merely destroy us, but now they do a far more insidious work: they try to tempt us away from our Dark Mother and into the Above. They preach of safety, of knowledge far beyond our own. They claim to wish to elevate us above what we are now. Already many colonies have encountered the demons, “humans” they call themselves, and many have fallen for their lies, their souls already damned within their flesh.

So if you see one of the White Devil’s heralds, run. Run far and deep until you can run no further. Do not listen to their words, for they will ensnare you and twist your soul. Do not attack them, for their flesh is strong and their master has granted them incomprehensible weapons to strike us down from afar.

And most importantly, do not enter the Above.

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published on Reddit at r/hfy on August 27, 2017 in response to this prompt:
> 
> https://www.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/4zcrep/writing_prompt_wednesday_73/d6uoitr/


End file.
